The Curious Case of the Monkey in the Underpants

Two men from the United Arab Emirates are in custody in New Delhi after airport security officials caught them allegedly trying to board a plane with two rare monkeys concealed in their clothes, one tucked in underwear, according to Jet Airways and government officials.

The men were spotted as they were in transit at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday having flown on Jet Airways flight 9W 063 from Bangkok, Jet Airways said in a statement. They were detained by security personnel as they went to catch flight 9W 548 to Dubai, the statement said.

“A group of three foreign nationals, transiting through Delhi’s IGI airport… were detained by security personnel following the recovery of a rare breed of monkey on one of the travelers while frisking during transit checks,” the airline said.

As the frisking was taking place, security officials saw a second person in the queue remove a loris – a rare breed of monkey — from his clothes and discard it in a dustbin, according to Hemendra Singh, a senior spokesman for the Central Industrial Security Force, which is responsible for security at Indian airports. He said the two animals, six or seven inches long and weighing about 150 grams, were recovered. He said one was recovered from the passengers “undergarments.”

A third U.A.E national was also detained and the three were handed over to customs and wildlife officials, Mr. Singh said.

An official from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau added that only the two men carrying the animals were subsequently arrested. “Two U.A.E. nationals were arrested for possessing loris, a vulnerable animal. The WCCB has taken custody of the men and is investigating the case,” he said.

He declined to name the two men — who have been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act – as the investigation is ongoing. If found guilty, the men could face prison sentences. He said he did not know the whereabouts of the third man stopped at the airport. The U.A.E. Embassy in New Delhi didn’t respond to requests for comment.

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